National Institutes of HealthNational Research Service Award
Ruth L. Kirschstein FellowshipF30, F31, F32
The Graduate College
Workshop November 13, 2014
Ken VickeryMark ZulaufJim Slauch
Dave KranzDan Harris
Sharee Robinson
NIH/KirschsteinF30, F31, F32 Pre- and
Postdoctoral Fellowships-Nuts and Bolts-
James M. SlauchDept of Microbiology
Medical Scholars Program
November 13, 2014
What are we talking about?• Individual fellowships from the National Institutes of
Health• Who’s eligible?
– Must be a US citizen or permanent resident (at the time of the award)
• Predocs: 5 Years• MD/PhDs: 6 years including some Med school after
PhD.• Postdocs: 3 years
– Years funded by other NIH training grants are subtracted
How to Start• Give yourself plenty of time ~6 weeks
– More if you project involves animals or humans
Submission F30 F32 April 8 August 8 December 8
F31 April 13 August 13 Dec 13
Scientific Merit Review
June - July Oct - Nov Feb - March
Advisory Council Review
Sept - Oct Jan - Feb May - June
Earliest Project Start Date
December April July
Program Announcementsgrants.nih.gov/grants/guide/search_results.htm?year=active&scope=pa
• Can be confusing• F31s
– PA-14-147 Individual PhD Fellowships– PA-14-148 PhD or MD/ PhD Fellowships for under-
represented minority or disabled students– PAR-13-127 NINDS MD/PhD Fellowships
• F30s– PA-14-150 MD/PhD Fellowships
• F32s– PA-14-149 Postdoctoral Fellowships– PA-12-261 AHRQ – Healthcare research and quality
How to Start• Read the Program Announcement CAREFULLY• Why different PAs?
– Not all Institutes participate in each PA – Institute-specific rules
• Download the Application Instructions– grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm– Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424 (R&R)– Read it carefully – you don’t need to read it all
• The PA trumps the general instructions
How to Start• Other useful documents – on the Grad College
Web site– Power points from today– Guidance for Preparing and Submitting NIH
Kirschstein Fellowship Applications through Grants.gov –prepared by OSPRA
– NRSA Fellowship Application Checklist – prepared by Slauch
How to Start• Contact your “Grants Administrator” in
your Dept–Talk to your thesis advisor – who do they
go to when filling out an NIH grant?• The Grants Administrator should download
the application package and fill out all the detailed stuff
Register in the ERA Commons • All PIs (that’s you) need to interact with the
NIH via the “Commons”• Go to the OSPRA website and click on
“Contact OSPRA”– Choose “Proposal-Submitting” from the subject
picklist. In the text box – say:– Please register me as a PI in the ERA Commons
• UIN• First & Last Name• Date of birth• Email
The Application• The application is a fancy PDF file
The Application• The application is a fancy PDF file
There are lots of directions for each
item
The Application• Some info is entered directly – the important stuff is uploaded
The Application• Some info is entered directly – the important stuff is uploaded
Do NOT put page numbers on the PDFs you create, but do put titles
Note that even boxes that are not yellow may be “required”
Letters of Recommendation
• Ask for your letters at least three weeks in advance (a month’s notice is better).
• Provide your letter writers with a resume as well as a summary of your research interests. They don’t need to see the proposal per se.
• The LORs are submitted electronically. Follow the instruction in section 5.4 of the “Application Guide”.
• You are allowed 3-5 LORs – NOT your advisor.• You must list the referees BOTH in Item 12 AND in the
cover letter.
Letters of Recommendation• Send an email to each letter writer. Don’t forget to
attach the reference form.• Thank you for agreeing to write me a letter of recommendation for my NRSA
application. The due date for my application is [August 8]. The letter must be submitted via the eRA Commons at: https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/reference/submitRefereeInformation.jsp
• Please note that you must create a single PDF file that includes the Fellowship Reference Form that is attached. The additional information you need is:– PI Commons User ID: [Your Commons ID]– PI Last Name: [Your last name]– Funding Opportunity Announcement Number: [The appropriate PA
number, eg, PA-14-147]• Full instructions are pasted below: Part B. Instructions for Referees:
Stipend and Tuition Projection• Your grant administrator will provide a projection of tuition and
fees for the next six years. This will differ depending on your graduate program.
• You will also need to show this table to the Graduate College Fellowship Office. Note that this projection is your best estimate and you are not limited by what you say here. The Univ actually bills the NIH later based on real costs.
Choose a Study Section• www.csr.nih.gov/Roster_proto/Fellowship_section.asp
Study Section
Description Scientific Review Officer (SRO)
F01-F (20) Brain Disorders and Related Neuroscience VILEN MOVSESYAN
F02A-J (20) Behavioral Neuroscience KRISTIN KRAMER
F02B-M (20) Sensory, Motor, and Cognitive Neuroscience
YUAN LUO
F03A-N (20) Neurodevelopment, Synaptic Plasticity and Neurodegeneration
MARY SCHUELER
F03B-G (20) Biophysical and Physiological Neuroscience
PAEK-GYU LEE
F04-A (20) Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Bioengineering
ROSS SHONAT
Etc………
Get Feedback
• Your advisor!• Others: Fellow students, post-docs,
committee members…• After your advisor has signed off on it:
– Ken Vickery – Grad College
Application Sign-Off• Several university officials must sign off on your application• You must allow sufficient time for each of these entities to act. • These individuals are not competent to judge the actual
proposal. So although you need a “complete” application to get signatures, you can continue to make minor edits to the proposal and upload new PDF files into the master PDF UNTIL it is time to send it to OSPRA.
• The Grants Administrator should fill out a “Transmittal Form”• For fellowship applications, the Grad College Fellowship Office
also needs to sign off. This is not explicitly listed on the transmittal form; rather this is an “other signature if required.”
• Submit completed application that has been reviewed by the appropriate offices (with help from your Grants Administrator) to OSPRA (at least 48 hours in advance).
Other Important Points• This is a “training grant”. The NIH training
record of your thesis advisor matters.• Ideally, your advisor is:
– Tenured– NIH Funded– Has successful PhDs out in the world doing good
• If not, fear not– Seek out a “co-advisor” that meets the above
criteria
Good Luck!
CONTENT FOR F30/F31 NRSA APPLICATIONS
Adapted from Lori Raetzman and Paven Aujla, 2012
David Kranz and Dan Harris
Department of Biochemistry
November 13, 2014
CHOOSE AN NIH INSTITUTIONMSP website: https://www.med.illinois.edu/MSP/Students/Fellowships/
F30 - PA-11-110 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-110.html)
Participating Institutes:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Make sure that project fits the institutions mission
• Preparing an application is a very significant investment of time by you AND your advisor. Need to be aware of this in determining probability of success.
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
APPLICANT IS EVALUATED BY:
Academic credentials: grades, productivity, and quality of undergraduate institution - candidates from same school (i.e. UI) may be at disadvantage
Demonstrated scientific accomplishment- publications, presentations; authorship on peer-reviewed paper is useful but not essential
Past funding: e.g. graduate fellowship, or slot on NIH training grant
Letters of reference (should try to make sure they are excellent): previous mentors/research advisors; try to obtain from both undergrad and grad
APPLICANT BIOSKETCH
Standard NIH biosketch format including:
Personal statement: research interests, past accomplishments, why you can do the proposed research
Education and employment Academic and professional honors Activities and memberships Publications (peer reviewed papers, if possible)
Length: 2-4 pages
Dan
“The Kirschstein National Research Award will provide me the opportunity to master technical training in biochemical research. In addition, during this award, I will take part in career development opportunities (i.e. attending conferences, speaking and poster presentations) to further develop the skills of an independent scientific-researcher. Ultimately, this training will prepare me for my goal of becoming a physician-scientist practicing and conducting research in oncology.”
Fellowship Applicant
Dan
DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AND OTHER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Outline previous research experience Not just techniques learned but questions hypothesized
and answered Summarize meetings attended, published papers
Length: Two pages
Dan
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
SPONSOR AND CO-SPONSOR CRITERIA
Research support available: grants and funding sources to your sponsor/advisor
Productivity: publications Mentoring record: previous and current fellows and
trainees If your primary sponsor is not strong in all areas,
seek out a co-sponsor. Make sure there is a good research fit. Make it very “easy” on any co-sponsor (e.g. by drafting any paragraph they need to provide, except for their biosketch).
A STRONG, LONG-TIME COLLABORATOR OF YOUR SPONSOR CAN BE HELPFUL
Could provide evidence of additional methodology that they are experts in and that you will benefit from
They could provide additional mentoring opportunities, e.g. if they are an MD
They could provide evidence of opportunity for additional training in a more clinical setting
Need Letter of Support and Biosketch from such collaborator – your advisor/sponsor should draft such a letter for them
COLLABORATORS Collaborators at clinical institutions Reviewers want to know EXACT details about collaboration
“Our lab has a long-standing collaboration with Professor Hans Schreiber at the University of Chicago, including a program project grant to optimize T cell therapy in various mouse models. In this subaim, I will work with Prof Schreiber’s lab to examine both the kinetics of T cell infiltration into tumors, and the efficacy of treatments (see letter from Prof Schreiber)”
“I will be working in collaboration with members of Dr. Hans Schreiber’s laboratory at The University of Chicago (see letter from Dr. Schreiber). My plan is travel to University of Chicago to work with a member of the Schreiber lab on experiments done with OT-I TCR/RAG-/- and OT-II TCR/RAG-/-mice, preferably in the summer months. I will also travel to University of Chicago once or twice a year to present my data at their lab meeting. This collaboration will not only provide critical feedback on my project, but will allow me to observe and work at a large academic medical center.”
Dan
SPONSOR and COLLABORATOR’s BIOSKETCHES
Standard NIH biosketch format including:
Personal statement: research interests, past research accomplishments (papers, grants), number of students mentored
Professional experience Honors and awards Scientific activities Selected publications (15 max) Research support
Length: 3-4 pages
SPONSOR and COLLABORATOR’s BIOSKETCHES
Standard NIH biosketch format to change in 2015:
The new format will allow up to five pages for the entire biosketch, and researchers will be permitted to describe up to five of their most significant contributions to science, the influence of their contributions on their scientific field, and any subsequent effects of those contributions on health or technology. The new format also will allow researchers to describe their specific role in those discoveries and to annotate their description with up to four publications.
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
RESEARCH PROJECT
Specific Aims page:
Disease your research addresses and its impact on human health: prevalence, cost, morbidity
What is NOT known: e.g. mechanisms of biological processes that impact the disease; how to design targeted therapeutic
Your research question/hypothesis Brief summary of preliminary data: how it fits into
question and what is known Specific Aims: experimental design to test hypothesis
Length: One page
SPECIFIC AIMS
Specific Aim 1. To develop a high affinity TCR against Survivin/HLA-A2 using directed evolution and affinity maturation.
Specific Aim 2. Test high-affinity TCRs in the CAR format for targeting T cells against Mart1, WT1 and Survivin antigens in vivo.
Specific Aim 3. To develop a method for rapid isolation of high-affinity TCRs using a universal scaffold.
EXAMPLE
Dan
RESEARCH PROJECT Background and significance
What is the major questionRelevance to human health What will be accomplished if aims are achievedHow will these studies change the fieldHow is this approach innovative
Preliminary studies Detailed explanation of figures and results: how they fit
into research question and lead to hypothesis
Research approach: expand on aims Overview, rationale and design of each aim Anticipated results, potential pitfalls and alternative
approaches
Length: Six pages
Dan
RESEARCH PROJECT
NCI Mission Statement:“The National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.”
“Research Training Plan:Many studies have shown that infiltration of tumors with T cells correlates with improved prognosis (e.g. ref (2)). Therefore, methods that improve T cell recognition of cancer antigens and infiltration of T cells into tumors will have high therapeutic potential.”
Dan
RESEARCH TRAINING PLAN TIPS
Break up sections with headings
-Use bold, italics, underlining to emphasize points
Don’t fill up all the available space
-Leave blank lines between sections if you can
A picture is worth a thousand words
Your advisor/sponsor should provide advice and examples of previous grants
Dan
PROJECT SUMMARY
Significance of project and relevance with to human health
Brief description of what is known about the question you are addressing
How your proposal will address unknown aspects and connect to human health
This is published on a public NIH database
Length: 2 paragraphs
Dan
Very brief description of question you are addressing
What results from your proposal will add to knowledge about particular disease or question
Lay person should be able to understand
Length: One or two sentences
PROJECT NARRATIVE
Dan
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
TRAINING PLAN Seminars and courses: taken and planned Mentoring: how often will you meet with your sponsor and
collaborators, what you will glean from these meetings Scientific meetings: attended and planned Department/program info: prestige of faculty/department,
seminars available to attend; when will you present in addition to group meetings (e.g. annual departmental presentations)?, student support activities
Medical Scholars Program (F30 applicants): history and success of the program; annual symposia; meetings
Specific information about sponsors: how their background, facilities and equipment will guide your training
Applicant qualification and potential for a research career: each sponsor should write a short “letter of recommendation”– pull together how their training and expertise will guide applicant training
Length: Six pages
GOALS FOR FELLOWSHIP TRAINING AND CAREER
Define applicant career goals Relate to research proposed
How will training plan assist and guide applicant career goals Use specifics: techniques used, unique university
or program environment that will foster applicant goals; opportunities for exposure to clinical mentors?
Length: One page
Dan
ACTIVITES PLANNED UNDER AWARD
Can use a timeline to outline which aims will be accomplished during which academic years
F30 applicants: can explain percent of time that will be devoted to research/courses and clinical training throughout the proposal timeline
Should include meetings, workshops, seminarsAnything that will impact and benefit applicant training
and exposure (keep career goals in mind)
Length: One page
Dan
ACTIVITES PLANNED UNDER AWARD
Explanation of MSP program (most reviewers familiar with MSTP programs)
Outline exactly when you will take M1 courses and how you will split up your time (make sure it is reasonable)
Clinical work during PhD
Dan
TRAINING POTENTIAL
“The College of Medicine offers a Clinical Practice Preceptorship (CPP) course, which I have taken previously and will continue to take during my graduate studies. The purpose of this program is to maintain a clinical presence during one’s graduate work. Students are paired with local practicing physicians and get to experience clinical medicine a minimum of four times throughout the year. In the past, I have been paired with a practicing oncologist/hematologist and had the opportunity to observe a variety of patients with diverse malignancies. I intend on continuing to work with this physician throughout my graduate studies. Additionally, there is a student run clinic, HeRMES, which I have volunteered for previously. I plan on continuing my volunteer work with HeRMES to not only gain clinical experience but also to provide basic healthcare needs to those in the local community.”
Dan
CORE REVIEW CRITERIA
Major criteria: Fellowship Applicant Sponsors and Collaborators Research Project Training Plan and Potential Institutional Environment (necessary, but
usually less critical as a distinguishing factor)
FACILITIES AND OTHER RESOURCES
List (in outline form) the facilities available to you during your training Ex: Common lab facilities: list all common equipment
including centrifuges, microscopes, data processing equipment
Core facilities: histology, sequencing, flow cytometry Your advisor probably has “boiler plate” documents for
these
Length: One page (depends on resources)
SELECTION OF SPONSOR AND INSTUITION
Prestige and reputation of university and applicant’s affiliated program
How selection of university/program fits into applicant research interest and training plan for future career
How sponsor’s research program and field of expertise fits exactly your goals
Length: One page
OTHER CONTENT
Resource sharing plan Ex. Any regents or animals planned to be shared in
studies proposed – a couple of sentences (get this from your sponsor)
Letters of support from collaborators Offer help with a technique or training, need biosketch
STUDY SUBJECTS
VETEBRATE ANIMALS SECTION (if applicable it is mandatory) Species/strains/ages/sex/number used Complete description of proposed procedures Justification: choice of animal, animal number (detailed
breeding plan for transgenic mice) Description of vet care Procedures to minimize discomfort Methods of euthanasia etc.
HUMAN SUBJECTS SECTION
RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
Training plan for NIH ethics requirementEx.: If plan to take or have taken MCB ethics course
requirement, outline topics covered and how they were covered (texts read, exercises etc.)
List any other possible ethics courses, workshops or ethics discussions or mentorship with sponsors
Length: One page
RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
Delineate applicant role in obtaining preliminary data generated for proposal vs. others
Applicant role in preparing grant application
Length: One page